A recent eye screening exercise for schoolchildren in the Wa Municipality has uncovered a troubling reality: hundreds of pupils are silently struggling with eye conditions that may be undermining their academic potential and overall wellbeing.
Out of 667 children screened during the outreach in the Jonga Circuit, only 79 were found to have normal vision. The rest—an alarming 88%—presented with various pathological eye conditions. Of these, 573 were treated with medication, 12 received corrective glasses for refractive errors, and 3 were diagnosed with potentially serious issues like cataracts and glaucoma.
The screening, organised by Bliss Eye Care under its Blissful Sight for Kids (BS4Ks) initiative in collaboration with Swiss charity Ghana Vision, has exposed the hidden burden of unaddressed eye health among schoolchildren in the Upper West Region.
Mr. Abudi Issahaku, the Wa Municipal School Health Education Programme (SHEP) Coordinator, expressed deep concern about the situation, describing it as a “dire public health issue” with direct consequences on education. “There are children sitting in classrooms unable to see clearly, yet neither they nor their parents know the cause,” he said in an interview with the Ghana News Agency during the screening event.
He blamed the trend on poor parental involvement in preventive healthcare. “The major problem is lack of regular eye screening. Parents and guardians don’t realise how much this affects learning.”
Health experts have long warned that untreated vision problems can hinder reading, concentration, and classroom participation—leading to lower academic achievement and reduced long-term opportunities for children.
Dr. Zakarea Al-hassan Balure, Manager of Bliss Eye Care, said this was the exact reason he launched the free screening initiative back in 2015. “Many families in rural areas can’t afford regular eye care, so conditions go undetected,” he explained. “This project is designed to remove that financial barrier.”
Over the years, the BS4Ks initiative has reached thousands of children and teachers in the Upper West Region and beyond. Dr. Balure says the programme not only promotes health and education, but also contributes toward achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially those focused on universal healthcare (Goal 3.8) and equitable education (Goal 4.1).
He called on the government and development partners to scale up such interventions, stressing that good vision is not a luxury but a foundational need for every child’s right to learn.
Meanwhile, Mr. Issahaku appealed to parents to take proactive roles in their children’s health, saying early detection could prevent long-term complications. “We must invest in our children’s sight the same way we invest in their future,” he emphasized.
As Ghana pushes toward education reforms and health equity, the Wa screening has served as a powerful reminder: no child should fall behind in school simply because they cannot see.
